[R] Drawing random numbers from Uniform distribution with infinite range

[Ray Chiruka]

Tfr

On Tue, 29 Jul 2025, 23:15 Richard O'Keefe, <raoknz using gmail.com> wrote:

> I meant to write "gives each finite interval an infinitesimal
> probability of the result landing there."
> Which I eventually got to.  And we weren't talking about finite range
> uniforms., which was sort
> of the point.
>
> On Wed, 30 Jul 2025 at 08:48, Duncan Murdoch <murdoch.duncan using gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > On 2025-07-29 4:44 p.m., Richard O'Keefe wrote:
> > > The uniform distribution with infinite range gives each possible
> > > answer infinitesimal probability of being chosen.
> >
> > That's also true of a finite range uniform distribution.
> >
> > > In the standard real numbers, that probability is ZERO.
> >
> > So is that.
> >
> > > In fact, the probability of getting a number in *any* prespecified
> > > finite range is the same, ZERO.
> >
> > That's not true for the finite range version, only the improper one.
> >
> > Duncan Murdoch
> >
> > > One such finite range is the numbers that can be represented in
> floating-point.
> > > So you are with certainty not going to draw a representable number.
> > > A complete answer to your question is thus
> > > ifelse(runif(N) < 0.5, 1, -1)/0 >
> > > Why do you think you need this?
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 at 04:01, Daniel Lobo <danielobo9976 using gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Hi,
> > >>
> > >> I want to draw a set of random number from Uniform distribution where
> > >> Support is the entire Real line.
> > >>
> > >> runif(4, min = -Inf, max = Inf)
> > >>
> > >> However it produces all NAN
> > >>
> > >> Could you please help with the right approach?
> > >>
> > >> ______________________________________________
> > >> R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> > >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > >> PLEASE do read the posting guide
> https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > >> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> > >
> > > ______________________________________________
> > > R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> > > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > > PLEASE do read the posting guide
> https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> >
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide
> https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>

	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]